By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 21: The first-ever Indian Nationals Cubing Championships in Northeast India concluded on Sunday, December 17, following an exhilarating three-day event held at the North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong.
Organized by AVENUES, Meghalaya’s social enterprise for personal excellence, in collaboration with the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Meghalaya, and supported by organizing clubs CIPHER, IT, NEHU, and SpeedCubing Guwahati, the championship brought together over 100 speedcubers from across the country.
From December 14th to 17th, the participants engaged in a series of competitions affiliated with the World Cube Association. The diverse range of events included the 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, 3x3x3 One-handed, 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 4x4x4 Blindfolded, 5x5x5 Blindfolded, 3x3x3 Multi-blind, Skewb, Square-1, Megaminx, Pyraminx, and Clock.
On the final day, competitors battled against the clock to secure their personal best scores, with the 3x3x3 Cube event taking center stage. Aryan Chhabra, the reigning 3x3x3 national record holder, claimed the top position with an average of 6.89 seconds and a best time of 6.34 seconds. Kunal Oak and Vijay Kishore secured the second and third places, respectively.
In a standout achievement, Meghalaya’s Badonbor Lamshane, a 9-year-old sensation, clinched the Gold for the Under-10 Achiever Award with a remarkable best time of 16.76 seconds on the 3x3x3 cube and an overall average of 18.27 seconds.
The competition also witnessed significant records being broken, including Ameya Gaba’s new national record in the 4x4x4 Cube event at 24.31 seconds and Prisha Aggarwal’s remarkable feat of breaking female national records in four events.
The concluding ceremony recognized various achievements, with accolades for the Youngest Cuber (Himansh Aggarwal), Eldest Cuber (Swaminathan Chandrasekaran), Best Female (Prisha Aggarwal), Best Debutant (R. Jeffin Ebenezer), and the Best 3 Achievers under the age of 10 (Badonbor Lamshane, Pranav Rastogi, and Himansh Aggarwal). The States Cup, contended by participants representing their respective states, was claimed by Team Delhi.
The official inaugural function held on December 16, 2023, was graced by dignitaries, including Swapnil Tembe (Director, School Education and Literacy, Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya), Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla (Vice-Chancellor, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong), Prof. Debdatta Kandar (Head of Department, Information Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong), Prof. Md. Iftekhar Hussain (Dean, School of Technology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong), Somya Srivastava (Vice-Chair, World Cube Association), and Mark Laitflang Stone (Founder & CEO, AVENUES, Shillong).
The resounding success of the championship signals a promising future for the cubing community in Northeast India, further fostering a culture of excellence and camaraderie among enthusiasts. With accolades bestowed upon outstanding individuals, the States Cup claimed by Team Delhi, and a series of unforgettable moments, the Indian Nationals Cubing Championships concluded on a high note, leaving participants and spectators eagerly anticipating future editions.